A rowdy Gallagher-Iba Arena didn’t phase the Iowa men’s wrestling team on Sunday. The Hawkeyes made the trip to Stillwater, Oklahoma, and handed Oklahoma State its first loss of the season.
The 22-9 victory marked Iowa’s first win in Stillwater since 2015. Iowa won seven of the 10 bouts, including the first three matches, and had 11 takedowns compared to Oklahoma State’s five.
Patrick Kennedy was the only Hawkeye to secure bonus points, winning 12-3 over No. 21 Brayden Thompson at 174 pounds.
“I feel like that was a good step,” Hawkeye head coach Tom Brands told Hawkeye Sports. “That was an undefeated team here in Stillwater. The environment and all that we handled it. We have to keep getting better.”
Ayala wins in sudden death
The 125-pound bout was a perfect start to the top-five dual meet. Knotted 1-1 after three periods, fourth-ranked Drake Ayala took the match in sudden victory, earning back points and nearly pinning No. 12 Troy Spratley for an 8-1 win.
The 125-pound weight class is one of the deepest in the country, but Ayala has his sights set on a national title. Earlier this season, Ayala was asked to describe the weight class and responded with “mine.”
Teske seems to be the favorite at 133 heading into March
Brody Teske lost to No. 2 Daton Fix on Sunday, but he battled until the final buzzer. Fix, who is 36-0 all-time inside Gallagher-Iba Arena, led 7-2, but Teske stayed aggressive and forced a stalling call on the Cowboy. This was Teske’s second loss all-time against Fix, falling 11-3 in 2023.
Teske seems to be the favorite at 133 heading into the postseason, as he has competed in the last two dual meets for Iowa and shown scoring ability.
Glazier continues hot streak
Zach Glazier has had a memorable season at 197 pounds. He finished the regular season with a 4-1 decision over Oklahoma State’s No. 16 Luke Surber, bringing his record to 21-1. In a match full of scrambles, Glazier secured a takedown in the final 20 seconds to quiet the 13,721 dressed in orange.
Brands praised Glazier for his wrestling IQ and knowing what position he was in the whole match. Glazier said he thinks the Hawkeyes are “right where we want to be” heading into March.
“Instinct takes over for sure, but knowing it’s do or die I better figure it out,” Glazier told Hawkeye Sports.
Freshman tracker
Five Hawkeye freshmen have competed attached this season. Under new NCAA guidelines, freshmen can wrestle in five dates of competition during the student-athlete’s initial year of collegiate enrollment without using a season of eligibility.
Gabe Arnold wrestled for the fifth time on Sunday, falling to second-ranked Dustin Plott, 5-1. Heavyweight and two-sport athlete Ben Kueter competed in his fourth match on Sunday and earned a solid 5-1 win over No. 11 Konner Doucet.
Arnold also wrestled in the last dual meet against Wisconsin, while Kueter competed against the Badgers and Penn State. It will be interesting to see who Brands throws out on the mat at 184 pounds and heavyweight at the Big Ten Tournament.
Up next
The Hawkeyes finished the dual season 12-2 and will now turn their focus to the conference and national tournaments. The Big Ten Tournament will be held March 8-9 in College Park, Maryland. The NCAA Championships will be in Kansas City from March 21-23. Iowa finished second behind Penn State in both tournaments last season.